2nd Roman Forum on Suicide – From Research to Clinic

At the end of March BMC Psychiatry Section Editor Ute Lewitzka attended the 2nd Roman Forum on Suicide. The aim of this meeting was to create a bridge between the research and the clinical practice in the assessment and treatment of suicidal behaviors. Here, she summarizes a few of the conference highlights

From March 30 to March 31 2017 more than 100 researches participated in a conference being held for the second time in Rome. Historically Rome is a perfect place for such a conference as it was common for Romans to discuss official issues in a forum. Marco Sarchiapone (University of Molise, Italy and an Associate Editor for BMC Psychiatry) was the main organizer and invited experts in suicide research from all over the world. Amongst others, important researchers including Danuta Wassermann (Sweden), Gil Zalsman (Israel), Zoltan Rihmer (Hungary), Maria Oquendo (USA) and John J. Mann (USA) presented and discussed new findings and their importance for patients suffering from suicidality. This conference was supported by the European Psychiatric Association and its Section “Suicidology and Suicide Prevention”.

The special atmosphere allowed a fruitful discussion of current research projects but also, and even more importantly, the clinical impact. As suicidality is one of the most complex phenomena in psychiatry a multilevel approach is needed for a better understanding and treatment. Biological perspectives, health care perspectives as well as public health issues were in the focus of the presentations. Young clinicians and researchers debated clinical cases in which one point became very clear: despite the guidelines and knowledge we currently have, the availability of local care and treatment options varies remarkably and sometimes makes it difficult for patients to receive the best care. Therefore suicide researchers and health care providers need to constantly raise awareness with political decision makers as this is crucial for supporting research activities and suicide prevention programs.

This meeting was an exciting opportunity to meet senior suicide researches and discuss their work. Young researchers and trainees got the possibility to present results of their research within poster sessions. The next Roman Forum on Suicide will take place in 2018!

Ute Lewitzka is senior physician in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Hospital Dresden, Germany. She is the head of the working group for Suicide Research. Her current research focuses on the suicide-preventing effect of lithium in patients with affective disorders and on other suicide preventing strategies.